More than one in four fleets have added vehicles from new entrant manufacturers to their company car choice lists, according to new research from the 2026 Arval Fleet and Mobility Observatory.
The study found that 26% of fleets had already included models from newer manufacturers, while a further 21% were considering doing so in the future.
Another 23% said they are waiting until these manufacturers become more established before adding them to fleet policies, while 12% said they do not plan to include them for the foreseeable future. Around 18% said they had not yet considered the issue.
Arval said the findings reflected the growing influence of newer automotive brands entering the UK market, particularly manufacturers from China focusing on electric and hybrid vehicles.
John Peters (pictured), head of Arval Mobility Observatory in the UK, said: “The arrival of new entrants to the UK car market, largely from China, has been one of the most visible trends in the industry over recent years.
“These companies have quickly established not just a substantial market presence but in some cases have also created large dealership networks.
“Generally, they have concentrated on a high value proposition in the electric and hybrid sectors, which can make them very attractive to fleets, with relatively low pricing and lease rates for the models on offer.
“Our research shows this approach is already having a significant impact in the fleet sector, with one in four businesses surveyed adding them to choice lists.
“Also, we know anecdotally from our experience at Arval UK, that drivers opting for these cars tend to be happy with their decisions.”
However, Peters noted that there had been relatively little movement in the figures compared with the same research conducted in 2025.
The proportion of fleets already including new entrants on their choice lists increased from 23% to 26%, while those considering adding them fell from 25% to 21%.
Businesses waiting for manufacturers to become more established also declined from 25% to 23%.
Peters added: “Clearly, greater volumes of cars from new entrants are now being bought by fleets, so our findings perhaps suggest the businesses who were already acquiring them are taking more, but that penetration into greater numbers of companies is proceeding more slowly than might be expected.
“It’ll be interesting to see how this picture develops in next year’s research.”
